2027 NCAA Tournament: ESPN releases updated Bracketology to project expanded 76-team field

Thursday, the NCAA made it official by announcing the 2027 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are expanding to 76 teams. As a result, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi updated his Bracketology projections.

Eight additional teams will be part of March Madness, which will now include an expanded opening round across two sites: Dayton and another to be announced later. It will feature 24 teams squaring off across two days, with the 12 winners advancing to the join the 52 other teams in the main bracket.

Long-rumored, NCAA Tournament expansion has arrived, starting with the 2027 event. Here are ESPN’s updated Bracketology projections, according to Lunardi.

Bracketology: The New Bubble

Last four byes: Ohio State, NC State, UCLA, Creighton
Last four in: TCU, Oklahoma, Marquette, Stanford
First four out: West Virginia, Florida State, Utah State, Maryland
Next four out: Mississippi State, Xavier, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State

In the 76-team format, six of the 12 weakest at-large teams will advance to the main bracket, meaning the bubble will also have a new look. The final teams in the 2027 NCAA Tournament will play at one of two sites, with Dayton remaining one of the hosts of the new opening round.

Bracketology: East (New York)

Charlotte
1. Florida vs. 16. Long Island/16. Vermont
8. Wisconsin vs. 9. North Carolina
Spokane
5. St. John’s vs. 12. Santa Clara
4. USC vs. 13. Yale
Minneapolis
6. Vanderbilt vs. 11. VCU/11. Providence
3. Virginia vs. 14. Illinois State
Louisville
7. Indiana vs. 10. Texas A&M
2. UConn vs. 15. East Tennessee State

After becoming a No. 1 seed in 2026, Florida reloaded once again heading into the 2026-27 season. The Gators notably got Thomas Haugh, Ruben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Boogie Fland all back in the fold as they look to shake off the early exit in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

West (Los Angeles)

Louisville
1. Illinois vs. 16. Southeast Missouri State/16. Southern
8. Kentucky vs. 9. Saint Louis
Omaha
5. Iowa State vs. 12. High Point
4. Alabama vs. 13. McNeese State
Spokane
6. Nebraska vs. 11. Arizona State/11. Clemson
3. Gonzaga vs. 14. St. Thomas
Sacramento
7. Missouri vs. 10. Creighton
2. Arizona vs. 15. UC Santa Barbara

For the first time since 2005, Illinois returned to the Final Four, and the Fighting Illini were another program to retain much of the rotation. Jake Davis, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic and David Mirkovic are all coming back while Andrej Stojakovic declared for the NBA Draft while leaving the door open for a return to Champaign-Urbana.

Midwest (Kansas City)

Pittsburgh
1. Michigan vs. 16. Montana State/16. Howard
8. Auburn vs. 9. NC State
Omaha
5. Tennessee vs. 12. Marquette/12. Stanford
4. Kansas vs. 13. Wichita State
Minneapolis
6. Texas Tech vs. 11. LSU/11. Oregon
3. Louisville vs. 14. Akron
Fort Worth
7. Villanova vs. 10. UCLA
2. Arkansas vs. 15. Robert Morris/15. Navy

The reigning national champion is generating buzz as a potential No. 1 seed again in 2027. Michigan is on the 1-line in ESPN’s way-too-early Bracketology after bringing in an impressive group of fresh faces, headlined by JP Estrella, to go with a returning crew led by Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney.

South (San Antonio)

Charlotte
1. Duke vs. 16. Troy/16. Merrimack
8. Georgia vs. 9. Ohio State
Sacramento
5. Purdue vs. 12. TCU/12. Oklahoma
4. Houston vs. 13. UNC Wilmington
Fort Worth
6. BYU vs. 11. New Mexico
3. Texas vs. 14. Liberty
Pittsburgh
7. Miami vs. 10. Iowa/10. Baylor
2. Michigan State vs. 15. Queens/15. Austin Peay

Although Duke is losing Cameron Boozer to the NBA Draft, the Blue Devils kept multiple rotation pieces in Durham. They then made a splash in the transfer portal by landing former Wisconsin star John Blackwell, helping them return to the 1-seed line in ESPN’s way-too-early Bracketology.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time left before the 2026-27 season begins. But with the NCAA Tournament expanding in 2027, the new-look bracket will be a big storyline entering the year.